Heel-clamp



0 H. FINBERQM HEEL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED M161 9. I919.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

INVEIVTOR.

David flF/nbey. BY M, M

ATTORNEY DAVID H. FINBERG, OF 'ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HEEL-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

Application filed August 9, 1919. Serial No. 316,475.

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that 1, DAVID H. FINBERG,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Heel-Clamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

The present invention is directed to improvements in. shoe-heel clamps, and particularly to clam. s for holding in position Inetallic heels equipped with nailsor prongs designed to be driven into, and through the insole of the shoe and subsequently clenched thereto. A heel of the character referred to forms the subject-matter of my U. S. Patent No. 1,296,939, bearing date of March .1919. In driving the nails carried by the top of f the heel into the'insole, it is obvious that the heel must be held steady and be maintained perfectly rigid,,particularly at the clenching stage of the operation. The object of the invention is to provide a clamp which will not only hold the heel rigid, but will safeguard the same against injury during the securing operation. A further object is to provide a clamp which will afford ample support for the upper edge of the heel against which the blows of the hammer or other tool are in the main directed during the clenching operation, and finally to provide a clamp which shall be simple, strong, and durable, and one possesslng further and other advantages better apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings in whicht Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the clamp showing the same applied to the heel of a shoe; Fig. 2 isa vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the nails of the heel as initially driven through the insole; Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the nails as finally driven through the insole and showing the heel in close contact with the outsole of the shoe; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the clamp detached; Fig. 5 is a top plan of the clamp with a portion of the felt liner removed; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the clamp viewed from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 7 -7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the heel with the upper portion thereof in section, and Fig. 9

is a side elevation of the shoe inverted and applied to the block or last at the beginning of the operation by which the heel is secured to the shoe.

Referring to the drawings, S, represents the upper of a conventional shoe for women. C, the counter of the shoe, H, the heel, a, the insole, b" the "filler, and c the outsole, all as fully understood in the art, the parts belng shown more or less conventionally and without any attempt at details. As fully indicated in my patent aforesaid, the upper enlarged end of the heel is provided with nails or prongs n preferably cast into the heel (which is of aluminum or equivalent material), the heel being initially attached to the shoe by mounting the shoe in an inverted position over a wooden block B (serving as a last for the heel portion of the shoe) securedto a bench or table T, then applying the heel'thereto, and with a mallet or hammer striking the bottom or lift 61 of the-heel whereby the nails 71 are driven through the layers 0, I), a, and partly into the wood of the block B (Fig. 9). This operation does not however drive the nails their full limit, but suiiiciently to hold the heel to the shoe to enable the operator to proceed with the subsequent steps involved in securing the heel permanently to the shoe. The nails n are .not so securely embedded in the block B but what they may be readily withdrawn therefrom by a slight upward pull on the shoe as the latter is being removed from the block. The shoe with the heel thus attached thereto is now ready for the subsequent operations in which the improved clamp plays an important part.

The clamp comprises a base plate 1 adapted to be secured say to the bench T in close proximity to the block B, or at any other point convenientto the operator, said plate being provided with a post 2 which is en larged at the top into a clamp section or jaw t curved to conform to the contour of the side and rear portions of the heel H, the said post being provided with a carriage bolt 3 projecting laterally therefrom, said bolt passing loosely through the bottom leg or post 2 of the movable or adjustable clamp section t which likewise conforms to the contour of the side and rear portions of the heel, the two sections t, t, jointely serving to rigidly clamp and holdbetween them the heel H, the inner or heel-engaging surfaces of the clamp sections being preferably lined with a layer or pad of felt it or equivalent soft material to protect the smooth and finished. surfaces of the heel against injury, the felt layer being either cemented or otherwise secured to the clamp sections, or it may even be loose. The jaw or clamp section t is adjustable to and from the section t, by moving the leg 2 thereof along the bolt 3, and when once in its adjusted position the said member is secured by the clamping nut at passed over the threaded portion of the bolt. The member is properly guided and held against rotary displacement by the guide-way or groove d formed by the parallel ribs 5, 5, on the plate 1 and leading from the foot of the post'2, said groove being parallel to the axis of the bolt 3. The front portions of the clamp sections or jaws t, t, are formed with inwardly turned lips e, e, which close over the sides of the breast of the heel when the latter is held grip ed between the jaws.

After the heel has been initially secured to the shoe upper as indicated in Fig. 9, the shoe with the heel thus loosely attached is removed from the block, and the heel with the shoe held in upright position is inserted between the jaws t, t, the movable member (2, 27,) being moved sufiiciently along thebolt 3 by an unscrewing of the nut 41:, to permit of the insertion of the heel between the jaws, after which the movable member is tightened against the heel by' screwing-the nut 4 home, the heel being thereby held rigidly between the clamp jaws. In order to insure the nails n being driven their full limit through the layers a, b, c, and the compacting of the said layers at the heel portion of the shoe, the operator (the heel being rigidly clamped in position) with one hand places the end of a short tube P over the projecting ends of the several nails 12 (Fig. 2) and with a hammer A in the other hand strikes the upper end of the tube, thereby driving the layers a, b, 0, well against the top of the heel, the nails being correspondingly driven through said layers into the bore of the tube. Thereupon, and with the heel still clamped in position, the operator puts aside the tube P, and with one hand applies one end of a solid bar P against the projecting ends of the nails, holding the bar at a slight incline inwardly (Fig. 3), whereupon he applies a hammer to theupper e'nd of the rod causing the ends of the nails to be clenched outwardly against the insole a, this operation serving to permanently secure the heel to the shoe. By then loosening the movable jaw member the shoe with its heel is removed, and a fresh shoe with its heel partly attached,

I treated in like manner.

The'jaws'or clamp sections t, t, as will beseenlfrom Fig. 1, are disposed on op'po Site side's ofa transverse plane through the the upper end of the heel when the nails n.

are being clenched against the insole, so that the upper portions of the heel are well supported and reinforced while under the blows of the hammer operating on the bar l by which the clenching is effected. The heel being generally of aluminum or some light alloy thereof, is more or less soft, and hence requires support along its upper portions while undergoing the blows inflicted by the hammer. The heel may be inserted between the jaws or clamp sections 1'. I. either by passing the shoe horizontally and rearwardly between the jaws, or from the top. the former method being the preferable as the jaws need not be separated as far hi admit the-heel, it being sullicient to part the jaws only far enough to permit the back of the heel to pass the lips a, c. It is to be understood that the heel is complete and finished as an article of mamifaeture, and is applied to womens shoes by any shoe maker or dealer having the necessary upper to which the heel is suitable. The details shown may obviously be departed from in a measure without ail'ecting the nature or spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention what i. claim is:

l. A heel clamp comprising a base plate, a. clamp section carried thereby, a relatively movable clamp section cooperating therewith, means on the plate for guiding the movable section to and from the first mentioned section, a. bolt lea ding from the first mentioned clamp section parallel to the path of movement of the movable section and passing loosely through said section, and means on the bolt for securing the n'iovable clamp section against outward movement. the heel'engaging portions of the clamp sewtions being contoured to conform to the sides and back of the heel supported between them, said portions being disposed on opposite sides of a. transverse plane through the axis of the bolt aforesaid at right angles to the base plate.

2. A heel clamp comprising a base plate, a clamp section carried thereby. a. relatively movable clamp section cooperating there with, a member projecting from the first named section and passing loosely through the movable section, and means on said member o'utsideofand adjacent to the movable llo lllll section for securing said section against outward movement, t e heel-engaging portions of the clamp sections being contoured to conform to the heel supported between them, said portions being disposed on opposite sides of a transverse plane through the axis of the member aforesaid at right angles to thebase plate.

A heel-clamp comprising a base plate, a clamp section carried thereby, a guide-way on said base plate leading from the clamp section aforesaid, a relatively movable clamp section provided with a member traversing the guide-way aforesaid, a screw-bolt leading from the first mentioned clamp section parallel to the guide-way, and playing freely through the movable clamp section, and a nut for securing the movable clamp section against outward movement, the heelengaging portions of the clamp sections being contoured to conform to the sides and back of the heel supported between them, and proportioned to bring the upper edges of the sections slightly below the top of the heel, the said portions being disposed on opposite sides of a transverse plane through the axis of the screw-bolt aforesaid, at right angles to the base plate.

4. A heel-clamp comprising a base plate, a post terminating at the top in an enlarged jaw contoured to the side and back portions of the heel, a guide-way formed in the plate at the foot of the post aforesaid, a second jaw movable to and from the first jaw and similarly contoured and provided with a leg traversing the guide-way aforesaid, a bolt secured to the post of the first jaw playing loosely through the leg of the movable jaw and disposed parallel to the guide-way aforesaid, a clamping nut on the bolt engaging the leg of the movable jaw, inwardly turned lips at the front of the clamp jaws extending across the side portions of the breast of the heel gripped between the jaws, the jaws being disposed on opposite sides of a transverse plane through the axis of the bolt-and at right angles to the base plate and sufficiently forward to permit the bottom of the heel and rear medial concave portion to come in front of the bolt, the upper edges of the being contiguous and slightly below the top of the heel, and a cushioning pad or liner for the jaws or clamp sections.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses. f

DAVID H. FINBERG. Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, J 0s. A. MIGI-IEL. 

